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Monday, December 08, 2008

Author Eternity Philops Talks about Homosexuality & Writing

For the month of DECEMBER, All the Blog's a Page (AtBaP) is looking at homosexuality and writing, and we have five wonderful writers who marry the subject into their writings in engaging, page-turning ways!

Last week, we premiered the topic with author J.M. Snyder; this week, we have the lovely, talented Eternity Philops, author of Visions of a Cryptic Mystery: Volume One!

About the book: VISIONS OF A CRYPTIC MYSTERY: VOLUME ONE is Eternity Philops' first accomplished collection. A debut of her unique writing style and talent, VISIONS showcases a diverse compendium of poetry and short stories born to Philops' over an extensive period of time.

Divided into concentrated segments, Philops' literary assemblage encompasses works expressing love, life, and loss. Each piece is a real world reflection of the Black lesbian experience: feel the intense sensations of a woman's divergent physical attraction; look on as two lifelong friends reflect on the path not taken. Submerge yourself in the poetic prose of unconditional love, unfortunate loss, and all that's inbetween.

VISIONS VOL. ONE will take readers on a journey that delves into their own emotions and passions. From the sexual to the spiritual, Philops' creative imagery and metaphoric verse brings to life one's own imaginative and emotional senses.

For December, I got greedy and asked the panel THREE questions: How have your works been received by readers of all orientations......In the stories you have written and are planning to write, what ideas and themes do you see reoccurring that shed light on homosexuality......At the end of the day, if there was one thing you wanted your readers to remember in regards to homosexuality, what would that thing be?

In answering the question, "How have your works been received by readers of all orientations," Philops replied, "The response to my book has been overwhelmingly positive, from readers and reviewers, straight and gay. Though I dedicated it to Black lesbians, the raw emotion behind the poetry and short stories is familiar to anyone. I also like to think that my unique writing talent attracts readers. I try to be different, to stand out among other writers with my style.

"Even in cases of disagreement on the issue of homosexuality itself I have still had a positive experience. There was an instance where I submitted myself and my work for review. The reviewer was unfamiliar with the content or my orientation, and upon finding out, he actually considered passing over me because I am gay. In the end he decided that exposing writers was far more important than his personal views, which I of course agreed with completely. The experience was an encouraging one in that this person did not let his personal prejudices cloud his opinion of me as an author. Too often it happens the other way around."

To read the rest of Eternity Philops' responses and to take a peek into her book, head to All the Blog's a Page!